Buttermilk cornmeal pancakes

Because who DOESN'T like pancakes??!? And if you raised your hand, then you are a shady, evil person and not to be trusted.  Okay, not really, but seriously,  how does ANYONE not like pancakes?

Funnily enough, I discovered one of the best pancake recipes I've ever tried from Adam Roberts, a self-confessed non-pancake lover.  And while that list of recipes is admittedly short and includes contenders like Maya Hotcake Mix, this is still one of the best pancakes I've eaten.  Oh, and the list of pancakes I've eaten (vs. made) includes a much longer and more impressive roster, by the way.



Best of all, this is a pretty fool-proof pancake recipe unless you're me, and you forget the sugar when you're making your first batch.  Which is still all good, because now you end up with a second recipe for savory blini-like pancakes that you could top with all sorts of interesting things and serve as h'or d'oeuvres at your next cocktail or dinner party. Because you're an awesome h'or d'oeuvre-making kind of gal.

ANYWAY. I served these for brunch and they were great, especially because you can make the pancake batter ahead of time and just fry them up as your guests arrive.  My friend and I both like our pancakes plain, but next time, I might try channeling Pancake House or IHOP and dropping some chocolate or peanut butter chips in the batter.  Or cheese. Don't judge, readers from distant shores. It's a Filipino thing and it's GOOD. Strawberries and whipped cream on the side would also be great.

As for us, we were perfectly happy with bacon, lots of butter and real maple syrup.  So much so that I couldn't get a decent photo, because my friend kept ignoring my instructions to wait until I took some photos before digging in. So, all I have here is evidence of a great brunch halfway through and my word that these pancakes are awesome. Enjoy!



Note:  The recipe calls for coarse corn meal and buttermilk. These aren't readily available in the Philippines, but I had polenta lying around and used that instead. For the buttermilk, I squeezed some lemon into whole milk (1 tablespoon per cup) and let that sit for about 10 minutes before using.

I've heard people say that you need the acidity of commercial buttermilk to get the same fluffy effect, but I thought the homemade stuff worked great. My end result was delicious pancakes with crusty exteriors and flavorful, fluffy insides.